Anurag Minus Verma Podcast (Culture Cafe)
A podcast exploring Indian politics, art, and culture through expert interviews and conversational deep dives on current events.
This is a hybrid show with two distinct formats. One is a long-form interview series featuring deep conversations with subject-matter experts like authors, activists, and journalists, aimed at decoding complex regional and national issues in India for a broader audience. The other format, called "Diss-course," is a more casual, multi-host roundtable discussing current events, internet culture, and entertainment news.
“The podcast's unique strength lies in its dual format, shifting between rigorous, educational interviews that unpack dense topics like regional caste politics and breezy, conversational roundtables on pop culture. The host often acts as an intelligent proxy for the curious but uninformed listener, making complex subjects accessible.”
Who hosts this show
Anurag Minus Verma is a multidisciplinary artist, author, and filmmaker who hosts this socio-political podcast. The show alternates between deep-dive interviews with experts on Indian society and politics, and a conversational roundtable format called "Diss-course" that covers pop culture, technology, and current affairs. The podcast is used as research material in some universities and has led to speaking invitations from institutions like Harvard and the University of Michigan.
Credentials & credits
- Author of 'The Great Indian Brain Rot: Love, Lies and Algorithms in Digital India'
- Filmmaker with screenings at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York
- Masters in Arts and Aesthetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU, Delhi)
- Filmmaking course from Film and Television Institute of India (FTII, Pune)
- Columnist for publications including The Wire, The Print, and Newslaundry
- Podcaster and cultural critic
Other ventures
- Author of children's book 'Moon Pizza'
- Satirical video diaries ('Soubhagya Diaries')
- Experimental filmmaking
- Culture Cafe by Anurag Minus Verma (Substack/Newsletter)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- India
- Region
- india
When new episodes drop
- 01The Dangerous Future of WhatsApp | Surveillance Capitalism ExplainedJun 28, 2026 · 1h 08m
- 02Melodi. New diss-course is out! #discourse #podcastJun 5, 2026 · 1 min
- 03
- 04New Diss-course: Cockroach Party, Account bans & return of Shekhar SumanJun 1, 2026 · 1h 05m
- 05The Secret Sauce of Tamil Nadu Politics decoded by ShalinMay 29, 2026 · 1h 06m
- 06Is BJP Unbeatable? Bengal Has the AnswerMay 26, 2026 · 1h 24m
- 07India’s Strange Love Affair With MediocrityMay 22, 2026 · 1h 30m
- 08Rofl Gandhi on Political heatstroke, Bengal, Raghav Chadha & moreMay 6, 2026 · 1h 20m
Notable episodes
- 01The Secret Sauce of Tamil Nadu Politics decoded by Shalin
A prime example of the podcast's strength in making complex regional politics and history accessible, detailing the deep nexus between cinema and power in Tamil Nadu.
- 02The Dangerous Future of WhatsApp | Surveillance Capitalism Explained
Showcases the 'Diss-course' format, where co-hosts engage in a free-wheeling conversation on tech, privacy, and consumer culture, sparked by current news.
- 03Is BJP Unbeatable? Bengal Has the Answer
Features an interview with a political correspondent to analyze a timely and significant topic in Indian national politics through a regional lens.
What you'll be asked on this show
In interviews, Anurag acts as a guide for the listener. He often opens by establishing the guest's context or location before moving to foundational questions to unpack complex topics (e.g., "Can you explain the history of cinema and politics in Tamil Nadu?"). He frequently uses clarifying questions to define potentially confusing terms for a non-expert audience (e.g., asking to differentiate 'Paraiyar' from 'Periyar'). He allows guests ample space to develop their thoughts, interjecting to draw parallels or simplify concepts rather than to dominate the conversation.
The show operates in two modes: single-guest interviews and a multi-host roundtable. Interviews are long-form and allow guests to speak at length, with the host guiding the conversation with foundational questions. The "Diss-course" episodes are more free-flowing and conversational, moving tangentially between various current events.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
4 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Can you explain the history of [complex topic] for an audience that might not be familiar with it?”
This is a cornerstone question used to let an expert guest lay the foundational context for a deep-dive topic.
process
1- Q.01
“To help people understand, is [unfamiliar place/concept] similar to [more familiar concept]?”
The host uses analogies to make regional or niche topics more accessible to a general Indian audience.
technique
1- Q.01
“Can you clarify the difference between [term A] and [term B]?”
He often asks this when a guest uses specific or potentially ambiguous terminology to prevent listener confusion.
personal
1- Q.01
“Where are you right now?”
A common opening question to ground the conversation and establish the guest's connection to the topic at hand.
Signature segments
- · Diss-course (recurring roundtable segment)
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically authors, journalists, social activists, and academics with deep, specialized knowledge of a particular facet of Indian life, such as regional politics (Shalin Maria Lawrence on Tamil Nadu), political reporting (Anant Gupta on Bengal), or social commentary (Rofl Gandhi).
- Hussain Haidryon The Dangerous Future of WhatsApp | Surveillance Capitalism Explained
- Shalin Maria Lawrenceon The Secret Sauce of Tamil Nadu Politics decoded by Shalin
- Anant Guptaon Is BJP Unbeatable? Bengal Has the Answer
- Rofl Gandhion Rofl Gandhi on Political heatstroke, Bengal, Raghav Chadha & more
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is listener-supported through platforms like Patreon, YouTube Memberships, and BuyMeACoffee, as mentioned in episode descriptions. The host has stated he has not done any brand deals for the podcast.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the host's full name?
- The host is Anurag Verma. He adopted the 'Minus' moniker for his digital identity on Facebook over a decade ago and it has stuck.
- What are the different formats of the show?
- The podcast primarily has two formats: long-form interviews with expert guests, and a conversational roundtable segment called 'Diss-course' with recurring co-hosts.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, the podcast is active, with new episodes released frequently.
- How can I support the podcast?
- The podcast is ad-free and supported by listeners via Patreon, YouTube channel memberships, and BuyMeACoffee.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Official Websiteanuragminusverma.com
- [02]YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [03]Anurag Minus Verma - Bloomsbury Publishingbloomsbury.com
- [04]Anurag Minus Verma - Goodreadsgoodreads.com
- [05]Kerala Literature Festival - Anurag Minus Vermakeralaliteraturefestival.com
- [06]Culture Cafe by Anurag Minus Verma - Substackanuragminusverma.substack.com
- [07]The Hindu: nothing is sacred for the author, podcaster and multimedia artistthehindu.com
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